This invention relates to novel melithiazole derivatives, a process for their preparation, compositions containing such compounds, a method for combating a fungus at a locus comprising treating the locus with such compounds and their use as fungicides.
Food production relies upon a variety of agricultural technologies to ensure the growing population's dietary needs remain affordable, nutritious and readily available on grocery store shelves. Fungicides are one of these agricultural technologies which are available to the world community. Fungicides are agrochemical compounds which protect crops and foods from fungus and fungal diseases. Crops and food are constantly threatened by a variety of fungal organisms, which, if left uncontrolled, can cause ruined crops and devastated harvests.
The preparation of melithiazole C by reductive cleavage of myxothiazol A with subsequent transformation of the resulting melithiazole C amide into the corresponding methyl ester has been described by a poster of B. Bohlendorf et al. presented at the Dechema Naturstofftagung in Irsee, Germany in 1996. Melithiazole C disclosed on this poster shows weak in vitro activity against Bortrytis cinera.
There is no indication that this compound could be active in vivo against other phytopathogenic fungi. Moreover, there is no hint to other derivatives of melithiazole C.
The underlying problem of the present invention was to find novel melithiazole derivatives having high in vivo activity against a broad range of phytopathogenic fungi.